New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-10-28
W4RNING FROM BALTIMORE


IL becomes the honest citizens Of New DIRK
to guard closely against just such frauds as
have been employed with surprising success
in Baltimore to defeat powerful Democratic
revolt against the rule of criminals. The
National Administration which pulled Senator
German through, first terrifying him with tho
control Of Federal offices in Maryland. and
putting his most INSCRIPTIONS rascals into
well-paid public places, and which then per-
mittcd his officials to desert their duties and to
concentrate their energies upon the defeat of
independent Democrats by fraud-that same
National Administration may be expected to do
what it can to secure the success of the
BoOdlcrs' ticket in this city. 1t controls many
hundred Offices here. and has parcellcd out the
most of them to men trained in INSCRIPTIONS
party work. IL can not only permit but com
mand an army of workers to spend their days
and nights for the defeat of the reform ticket
II seems to have especial desire for suppressing
further inquiry prosecution concerning rail-
road and other jobs in this city. Public scnti-
mcnt was not so strangely dehcd without
reason, and local leaders did not take a step
so hazardous without confidence that the Ad
mnistration would use its power to help their
ticket.
Frauds are not quite so easy in this city as
in Baltimore, and yet he knows little of cleo
tiOns in NewYork who supposcs that they are
ever free from fraud. Registration of voters
docs not prevent registration of dead men and
repeatcIs, here or anywhere else. Unless
extraordinary care is taken to guard against
frauds, both in the registration, at the polls
and in the counting of The votes, the bribc-
givers and bribe-takers may yet find way to
defeat great majority of honest voters.
The registration has to be watched with
especial care this year, and there should be no
time lost in the laborious searching which alone
can enable honest citizens to stop wholesale
frauds. A single gang Of rcpcaters can outvotc
a large club or a powerful body Of citizens,
unless moro thorough work is done than is
usual here in other than Presidential years.
Indeed, there are some Democrats and some
Republicans who know that frauds which were
not detected in season. even in the last cX-
citing Presidential campaign. did count for
moro to elect Mr.. Cleveland than the frantic
cXertions Of many noisy individuals. and his
scanty majority was certainly due, not to
the people, but to MIR. Hubert .. Thompson,
that the President never dared to oppose that
INSCRIPTIONS politician while he lived. IL
honest citizens content themselves with fine
meetings. eloquent addresses and an imposing
parade of influential names. and meanwhile
leave the practical work Of the election to the
kind Of men who gather around Colonel Eel |
lows. there may not improbably be happiness
among the known and unknown corruption
lists after the election.
There is large Democratic majority in this
city on an honest vote, but the uprising against
the Boodlcrs' ticket is clearly powerful enough
to defeat it, The danger Is in the fact that
the legitimate Democratic majority has been
greatly swccd whenever the knavcs con-
trolling certain wards have found 1t necessary
to keep their hold on the city government
and TO retain seats in the Board Of Alder
men. The machinery by which these things
are done needs to be watched this year more
than ever There is no sort Of question that
revolving Democrats who want honest govern
mcnt are numerous enough to insure victory,
unless Germans methods are employed "A
larger scale than is usual here. But it is Of
little use for good citizens 10 rise against
corruption. unless they can keep fraudulent
voting and fraudulent counting within moderate
limits.